Swipe Your Way to the Corner Office

Appealing to the Millennial population, Shapr is a networking app that is growing in popularity. Since its relaunch in 2015 (an earlier version didn’t quite cut the mustard), the mobile networking app has grown into a network of 600,000, with 2,500 swipe-happy professionals joining each day.

Shapr is focused on promoting high-quality conversation with like-minded professionals. Setting up your profile on your iPhone or Android is incredibly easy: after plugging into your LinkedIn profile, simply add up to 10 interests to help you match with nearby contacts. From there, Shapr’s smart algorithm will use your location, self-selected interests, and work experience to produce a daily, personalized selection of ten to fifteen people to meet.

According to Forbes, “Shapr helps users save valuable time, a key for millennials, by allowing them to only pursue connections they know will be valuable. Because of the setup of the app, users naturally search for connections that are mutually beneficial and genuine.”

Shapr does limit the number of “swipes” you can have at one time. Once the limit is reached, users received countdown when you can do swiping again. Another potential downfall of the app is the inability to set a maximum or minimum range for location. While important to expand your network across the globe, sometimes professionals have a certain need in a certain geographic location. Perhaps something developers will offer in a future iteration.

My take? Shapr has legs and may really take off if it can continue to grow its audience. With nothing else like it on the market right now, the platform promises to exchange ideas and bring inspiration. However, to make the most out of it users need to be very specific with their interests and have a concrete objective for participating (e.g find a mentor, locate freelance work, etc). While a great app to meet new people easily and efficiently, it does take some strategy to find meaningful connections.